Michael Creed
Question:121 Mr. Creed asked the Minister for Finance the regulations governing payment of a Gaeltacht allowance to public servants living and working in the Gaeltacht areas.
Written Answers. - Gaeltacht Allowance.
Gaeltacht allowances are not payable in the Civil Service or the Defence Forces. The following is the position in the other main areas of the public service.
Certain local authority officers receive a Gaeltacht allowance under regulations set out in Statutory Instrument 221 of 1966. Under these regulations, a local authority may pay an office holder additional remuneration, not exceeding 7½ per cent of the annual basic salary of the office holder, where her/his duties are performed mainly or entirely in the Gaeltacht and the local authority is satisfied that he or she posseses a sufficient knowledge of the Irish language to enable him or her to perform the duties of the office competently through Irish.
The same arrangements apply in the health service as in local authorities.
Teachers giving instruction in all subjects (except English) through Irish in schools situated in the Gaeltacht receive an allowance of £1,191 per year.
In the Gárda Síochána, a Gaeltacht allowance equal to 7½ per cent of basic pay is payable to members up to and including Chief Superintendent. The allowance is payable only in areas where Irish is the general medium of speech and where all the members of the Force are proficient in Irish and are required to perform their duties through Irish. The areas where the allowance is paid are organised on the basis that they form a Superintendent's District as it is not regarded as practicable to arrange for members of the Force to conduct all their duties in Irish if Irish is not also in use at the District Headquarters.